"The locker room was not very good after the game," Rivers said. "That was tough. That was tough to see for me as one of their leaders. Wish I could have done more for them."

Rivers said Paul "took it hard" after the loss.

"I just feel awful for him," Rivers said. "He's the spirit of our team. Right now, his spirit is broken. He's going to have all summer to work and get ready for next year. But he'll be ready. He'll be better next year."

The Clippers had to deal with Sterling making disparaging comments about African Americans that led to the NBA fining the owner $2.5 million, banning him for life and trying to force him to sell the team.

That was something the Clippers had to deal with for almost a month, starting in Game 4 of the first-round playoff series against Golden State.

"To tell you the truth, we don't think about that," Paul said. "That's the least of our worries right now is him. We just lost a damn series. I'm sorry, but we don't care about that."

Paul stopped and looked at Griffin next to him at the podium.

"When I came out and laced up for a game and was playing, I didn't put much thought into him," Griffin said about Sterling. "I played for my teammates. I played for the fans, the people that are working for us. He's like somebody I never really knew."

Paul interjected: "That was the last thing on our mind. We give him too much attention as it is."